Seniors got the respect they deserved - Sourav Ganguly
"I don't agree (that senior players are disrespected). People like Sunil Gavaskar have gone with respect. Look at the respect Anil Kumble got on his retirement.
"For me, it has to be the stature of the player. The stature of the cricketer has to match Sachin Tendulkar's to evoke that respect," Ganguly, retired from international cricket after the Australia Test Series.
About the retirement of others in the FAB-FOUR, "I don't think the time has come for all the fab four to go. Instead of all going together, it's better to go in batches. All these schemes that are being reported are speculation. It's not true, there is no such scheme.”
"They are such big performers that they don't need to be told when to go. They have more responsibility towards Indian cricket and they know when they have to go," he said.
About Criticisms, "The criticism is a part of the package. It is such a high-profile sport here and people will say things. But once you step over the ropes, its your performance that matters. All you need to do is score runs and that's it," he said.
About his relationship with former coach Greg Chappell, "It was a difficult phase because all that happened was a shock. I couldn't fathom why it happened. It did not need to happen. Obviously, I felt bad when the captaincy was taken from me. But losing my place in the side was worse. I just wanted to play. I had certain goals in life ... Wanted to play 100 Tests, wanted to be part of the World Cup team.”
"I was merely 32 but was still dropped from the World Cup team. So obviously, it was tough," he recalled.
About relationship with Steve Waugh (who was made to wait by Ganguly that’s what he said in his book), "I have immense respect for Steve Waugh. I have been a fan of his determination. Whatever happened was just to win the matches, nothing personal.
About the reaction of teammates to his announcement of retirement, "I think they knew that it had to come at some stage. They were not surprised because it will come for them as well."
Tags: Sourav Ganguly , Seniors , Respect , India , Australia , Steve Waugh , Sachin , Dravid , Laxman
